REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION/PUBLIC HEARING ON NUMEROUS ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION AGAINST MRS. FARIDA WAZIRI, CHAIRMAN OF EFCC
The Movement Against Corruption (MAC) Nigeria, is a contemporary platform of over 300 Nigerian civil society, human rights, community and faith-based organisations committed to building synergies among stakeholders in the crusade against corruption and interested in evolving effective strategies to combating and curtailing, if not completely eliminating, corruption and related vices in Nigeria.
In furtherance of the foregoing mandate, MAC considers it pertinent to beseech you and the highly esteemed House of Representatives with a view to requesting you and the House to kindly look into the numerous, if not ceaseless allegations of corruption and corrupt practices leveled against the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); Mrs. Farida Waziri.
MAC’s request is predicated upon the continued, if not contumacious refusal, neglect and or failure of the said Mrs. Farida Waziri to respond to our request for a confirmation, refutation or correction of the allegations, particularly as contained in our letter of 23rd December, 2008 to Mrs. Farida Waziri.
In specific terms, MAC is disturbed by the un-denied interminable and increasingly damaging allegations of assorted graft by a popular internet-based media outfit (Sahara Reporters). Some of the detailed scams and shady deals involving this highly-placed public officer include among others;
1. Collection of a black Mercedes Benz GL 450 assessed to cost $500,000.00 from the incumbent Governor of Akwa Ibom State through a vehicle supplier, one Mr. Charles Ahize also known as Charles Aproka. Sahara Reporters did not stop at that, it went ahead to give the technical identification of the car, when delivery was made, who drove it, where it was bought, by whom and where it is parked and many other details.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
2. Spending EFCC funds on “special consultants” with dubious backgrounds to serve the EFCC on the international front. Her so-called consultants include a former Metropolitan Police officer, William Duncan McKelvie otherwise known as Duncan.
3. “SaharaReporters investigations showed that between June 23 2008 and October 22nd 2008, Mrs. Waziri – with the aid of her blood brother, Yisa Terfa Moses, whom she hired as a special assistant – withdrew the sum of N75 million as “information fund” from the accounts of the EFCC.”
4. “… Mrs. Waziri's ‘information fund’ withdrawals shows that on Monday June 23 2008 she took out N5 million. Three days later, on June 26 2008, she made cash withdrawals of N15 million. She followed up with withdrawals of N15 million on July 22nd 2008 and another N15 million on July 28 2008. … on August 2nd 2008 … a cash withdrawal of N2 million, followed by another withdrawal of N3 million on August 14th 2008. On September 20th and October 14th 2008 respectively, Mrs. Waziri also took out N20 million in two N10 million installments.”
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5. “… the cash withdrawals … coincided with … discovery of Mrs. Waziri's curious purchase of federal government owned properties in the Wuse II area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. As a retired former Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Mrs. Waziri owned only one plot of land in Maitama area of Abuja. … on May 26 1999, she was allocated Plot 601 at 23 Aso Garden Estate, Maitama Abuja. One Barrister Mike Idoko Ejeh submitted her application.”
6. Purchase of land in Abuja. Revocation of same and reissuance of same plot in her daughter’s name.
7. Collection of $ 2 million from former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili so as to kill the case against the latter.
Sir, by virtue of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the relevant enactments relating graft and allied matters, including the EFCC Act, MAC knows that the aforesaid allegations, if true, is unconstitutional and illegal, if not an outright disservice to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Nigerian polity and to all Nigerians and indeed to the international community who have invested a great deal of hope, expectation and support in the anti-graft initiative in Nigeria.
Apart from being a contravention of the Oaths of Office and Allegiance, it is equally contradictory to the Code of Conduct for Political Appointees of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of June 27, 1999 and it is at variance with the seven principles of public life, namely; selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership
Kindly recall the words of Kofi Annan to the effect that: "Corruption hurts the poor disproportionately by diverting funds intended for development, undermining a government's ability to provide basic services, feeding inequality and injustice, and discouraging foreign investment and aid".
As stated earlier, MAC and its leadership are disturbed by the otiose silence and non-reaction from Mrs. Waziri in terms of actually knowing and understanding whether the weighty allegations are true or baseless because same will negatively affect the image of the country and corruption perception of Nigeria unless the falsity or otherwise of the allegations is established by the House of Representatives under your able, amiable and patriotic leadership.
Furthermore, it is essential for Nigerians to ascertain the correct situation while at the same time according fair hearing to all parties concerned.
Consequently, we implore you and the honourable House to kindly investigate these allegations or alternatively to conduct a public hearing on same so as to confirm, correct or otherwise contradict the aforesaid allegations and safe the Nigerian the polity the uncertainties, negativities, ceaseless drawbacks and untold denigration attendant on silence, inaction, negligence, inertia or undue collaborationism.
Thanks and God’s limitless mercies to you, to the House and indeed, to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
LONG LIVE THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES!
LONG LIVE THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA!!
Yours sincerely,
Imam Abdulrahaman Ahmed
(Chair, MAC)
Cc:1. HON. RABEE, CHAIR, SENATE COMMITTEE ON DRUGS, NARCOTIC & ALLIED MATTERS
2. CHAIRMAN, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PETITIONS
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